Magnetic field-induced synergistic therapy of cancer using magnetoplasmonic nanoplatform.

Combining photothermal and chemotherapy using single nanoplatform is an emerging direction in cancer nanomedicine. Herein, a magnetic field (MF) induced combination of chemo/photothermal therapy is demonstrated using FeO@mSiO@Au core@shell@satellites nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX), both and An application of an external MF to the NPs dispersion causes magnetophoretic movement and aggregation of the NPs. While the synthesized NPs only slightly absorb light at ∼800 nm, their aggregation results in a significant near infrared (NIR) absorption associated with plasmon resonance coupling between the Au satellites in the NPs aggregates.

Biopharmaceutical drug delivery and phototherapy using protein crystals.

Biopharmaceutical drugs, including proteins, peptides, and antibodies, are renowned for their high specificity and efficacy, fundamentally transforming disease treatment paradigms. However, their structural complexity presents challenges for their formulation and delivery. Protein crystals, characterized by high purity, high stability and a porous structure for biopharmaceutical drug encapsulation, providing a potential avenue for formulating and delivering biopharmaceutical drugs.

Combining near infrared fluorescence and laser speckle imaging with optical tissue clearing for in vivo transcranial monitoring of cerebral blood vessels damaged by photodynamic nanoformulation.

In vivo near infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) are emerging optical bioimaging modalities, which can provide information on blood vessels morphology, volume and the blood flow velocity. Optical tissue clearing (OTC) technique addresses a light scattering problem in optical bioimaging, which is imperative for the transcranial brain imaging. Herein, we report an approach combining NIR fluorescence and LSC microscopy imaging with OTC.

Human mesenchymal stem cells increase LLC metastasis and stimulate or decelerate tumor development depending on injection method and cell amount.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) being injected into the body can stimulate or decelerate carcinogenesis. Here, the direction of influence of human placenta-derived MSCs (P-MSCs) on the Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor development and metastatic potential is investigated in C57BL/6 mice depending on the injection method. After intramuscular co-inoculation of LLC and P-MSCs (LLC + P-MSCs), the growth of primary tumor and angiogenesis are slowed down compared to the control LLC on the 15th day.

Exploring the effect of photobiomodulation and gamma visual stimulation induced by 808 nm and visible LED in Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Although photobiomodulation (PBM) and gamma visual stimulatqion (GVS) have been overwhelmingly explored in the recent time as a possible light stimulation (LS) means of Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy, their effects have not been assessed at once. In our research, the AD mouse model was stimulated using light with various parameters [continuous wave (PBM) or 40 Hz pulsed visible LED (GVS) or 40 Hz pulsed 808 nm LED (PBM and GVS treatment)]]. The brain slices collected from the LS treated AD model mice were evaluated using (i) fluorescence microscopy to image thioflavine-S labeled amy-loid-β (Aβ) plaques (the main hallmark of AD), or (ii) two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging of unlabeled Aβ plaques, showing that the amount of Aβ plaques was reduced after LS treatment.

Hyperspectral imaging of lipids in biological tissues using near-infrared and shortwave infrared transmission mode: A pilot study.

Label-free hyperspectral imaging (HSI) of lipids was demonstrated in the near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) regions (950-1800 nm) using porcine tissue. HSI was performed in the transmission light-pass configuration, using a NIR-SWIR camera coupled with a liquid crystal tunable filter. The transmittance spectra of the regions of interest (ROIs), which correspond to the lipid and muscle areas in the specimen, were utilized for the spectrum unmixing.

Recent advances in plasmon-enhanced luminescence for biosensing and bioimaging.

Plasmon-enhanced luminescence (PEL) is a unique photophysical phenomenon in which the interaction between luminescent moieties and metal nanostructures results in a marked luminescence enhancement. PEL offers several advantages and has been extensively used to design robust biosensing platforms for luminescence-based detection and diagnostics applications, as well as for the development of many efficient bioimaging platforms, enabling high-contrast non-invasive real-time optical imaging of biological tissues, cells, and organelles with high spatial and temporal resolution. This review summarizes recent progress in the development of various PEL-based biosensors and bioimaging platforms for diverse biological and biomedical applications.

Hemoglobin Nanocrystals for Drugs Free, Synergistic Theranostics of Colon Tumor.

The conventional approach in cancer nanomedicine involves advanced drug nanocarriers delivering preloaded therapeutics to targeted tumor sites to maximize drug efficiency. However, both cancer drugs and nanocarriers inevitably produce side effects and systemic toxicity. Herein, hemoglobin nanocrystals (HbC) as drug-free theranostic nanoformulations with the tumor microenvironment (TME) activated diagnostic and therapeutic abilities towards colon tumors are introduced.

Near-infrared light reduces β-amyloid-stimulated microglial toxicity and enhances survival of neurons: mechanisms of light therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Low-intensity light can decelerate neurodegenerative disease progression and reduce amyloid β (Aβ) levels in the cortex, though the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which photobiomodulation (PBM) protects against neurodegeneration are still in the early stages. Microglia cells play a key role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease by causing chronic inflammation. We present new results concerning the PBM of both oxidative stress and microglia metabolism associated with the activation of metabolic processes by 808 nm near-infrared light.

Tumor-Microenvironment-Activated NIR-II Nanotheranostic Platform for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Colon Cancer.

Rational design of tumor-microenvironment (TME)-activated nanoformulation for precisely targeted cancer treatment has recently attracted an enormous attention. However, the all-in-one TME-activated theranostic nanosystems with a simple preparation and high biocompatibility are still rarely reported. Herein, catalase nanocrystals (CatCry) are first introduced as a tumor microenvironment activatable nanoplatform for selective theranostics of colon cancer.

Red and near infrared light-stimulated angiogenesis mediated via Ca influx, VEGF production and NO synthesis in endothelial cells in macrophage or malignant environments.

Irradiation with red or near-infrared (NIR) light in low level light therapy (LLLT) is found to stimulate cellular processes and bioenergetics, resulting in enhanced wound healing, pain control, neurodegenerative diseases treatment, etc. During light irradiation of tissues and organs, different cells are affected, though the connection between photostimulation of cells and their environmental conditions remains poorly understood. In this report, red/NIR light-stimulated angiogenesis is investigated using endothelial cells in vitro, with a focus on the capillary-like structure (CLS) formation and the respective biochemical processes in cells under conditions proximate to a healthy or malignant environment, which strongly defines angiogenesis.

Effect of NIR light on the permeability of the blood-brain barriers in models.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic barrier between the blood microcirculation system and the brain parenchyma, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurological diseases. Meanwhile, a non-invasive therapeutic approach of photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a promising treatment for neurological disorders through irradiation with near infrared (NIR) light. However, despite multiple encouraging results reported for PBM and , the mechanisms of its therapeutic effect on brain, especially on the BBB, remain barely known.

Charged groups on pyropheophorbide-based photosensitizers dictate uptake by tumor cells and photodynamic therapy efficacy.

This study investigated the impact of anionic and cationic substituents of the pyropheophorbide-based photosensitizers (PS) on uptake and retention by tumor epithelial cells and photodynamic therapy (PDT). A series of PSs were generated that bear carboxylic acid functionalities, alkyl amines with variable length of carbon units or as a quaternary ammonium salt introduced at position 17 of 3-(1'-hexyloxy)ethyl-3-devinylpyropheophorbide-a (HPPH). The nature of the functionalities in the macrocycle made a significant difference in overall lipophilicity (log D values at pH 7.

Macrophages Modulated by Red/NIR Light: Phagocytosis, Cytokines, Mitochondrial Activity, Ca Influx, Membrane Depolarization and Viability.

Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is emerging as a promising therapeutic approach to modulate the biochemical and molecular processes within living cells. LLLT is known to produce local and systemic effects; therefore, immune cells in local tissues or in the circulation are affected by light. However, this specific effect remains weakly explored.

Catalase Nanocrystals Loaded with Methylene Blue as Oxygen Self-Supplied, Imaging-Guided Platform for Photodynamic Therapy of Hypoxic Tumors.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-known method for cancer therapy in the clinic. However, the inherent hypoxia microenvironment of solid tumors enormously restricts the PDT efficiency. Herein, catalase nanocrystals (CatCry) are introduced as in situ oxygen (O )-generating system to relieve tumor hypoxia and enhance PDT efficiency for solid tumors.

Optical Imaging of Beta-Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial, irreversible, and incurable neurodegenerative disease. The main pathological feature of AD is the deposition of misfolded β-amyloid protein (Aβ) plaques in the brain. The abnormal accumulation of Aβ plaques leads to the loss of some neuron functions, further causing the neuron entanglement and the corresponding functional damage, which has a great impact on memory and cognitive functions.

Real-Time Imaging of Short-Wave Infrared Luminescence Lifetimes for Anti-counterfeiting Applications.

Rare-earth doped nanoparticles (RENPs) have been widely used for anti-counterfeiting and security applications due to their light frequency conversion features: they are excited at one wavelength, and they display spectrally narrow and distinguished luminescence peaks either at shorter wavelengths (i.e., frequency/energy upconversion) or at longer wavelengths (frequency/energy downconversion).

Multifunctional Magneto-Plasmonic FeO/Au Nanocomposites: Approaching Magnetophoretically-Enhanced Photothermal Therapy.

Magneto-plasmonic nanocomposites can possess properties inherent to both individual components (iron oxide and gold nanoparticles) and are reported to demonstrate high potential in targeted drug delivery and therapy. Herein, we report on FeO/Au magneto-plasmonic nanocomposites (MPNC) synthesized with the use of amino acid tryptophan via chemical and photochemical reduction of Au ions in the presence of nanosized magnetite. The magnetic field (MF) induced aggregation was accompanied by an increase in the absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region, which was demonstrated to provide an enhanced photothermal (PT) effect under NIR laser irradiation (at 808 nm).

Red and near-infrared light evokes Ca influx, endoplasmic reticulum release and membrane depolarization in neurons and cancer cells.

Low level light therapy uses light of specific wavelengths in red and near-infrared spectral range to treat various pathological conditions. This light is able to modulate biochemical cascade reactions in cells that can have important health implications. In this study, the effect of low intensity light at 650, 808 and 1064 nm on neurons and two types of cancer cells (neuroblastoma and HeLa) is reported, with focus on the photoinduced change of intracellular level of Ca ions and corresponding signaling pathways.

In Situ Ultraviolet Polymerization Using Upconversion Nanoparticles: Nanocomposite Structures Patterned by Near Infrared Light.

In this paper, we report an approach to polymerization of a nanocomposite containing UV-polymerizable organic material and inorganic, NaYbF:Tm core-based nanoparticles (NPs), which are optimized for upconversion of near infrared (NIR) to ultraviolet (UV) and blue light. Our approach is compatible with numerous existing UV-polymerizable compositions and the NaYF: Yb, Tm core-based NPs are much more stable against harsh conditions than NIR organic photo-initiators proposed earlier. The use of a core-shell design for the NPs can provide a suitable method for binding with organic constituents of the nanocomposite, while maintaining efficient NIR-to-UV/blue conversion in the NaYbF core.

Photoacoustic visualization of the fluence rate dependence of photodynamic therapy.

This study investigates the fluence rate effect, an essential modulating mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT), by using photoacoustic imaging method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the fluence rate dependence is investigated at a microscopic scale, as opposed to previous studies that are based on tumor growth/necrosis or animal surviving rate. This micro-scale examination enables subtle biological responses, including the vascular damage and the self-healing response, to be studied.